no boundaries, no filter, no worries…..

How To Run A PSA Approved Rescue

It seems I can’t turn my computer on without reading about horse rescues and why some are bad and some are good. While I have rescued a horse or two in the past, I have never run a rescue and I really don’t want to. Not because I don’t care about abuse and neglected animals; I do. I just wouldn’t care to jump into the fray of back-biting and nastiness that seems to go on with rescues. One of the things that the PSAs like to screech about is rescues and if they don’t like how you’re doing it, they’re going to go out of their way to make sure you hear about it…..A LOT. The PSAs also like to claim that us anti-slaughter types, don’t listen to them and respect their vast knowledge of horse husbandry, so I’m going prove that I do hear them and talk about setting up the ultimate rescue according to their rules. I hope I get it right…

Where Are You Going To Keep The Horses?

This seems like the best place to start. From what I have read from the PSA crowd, you don’t need to actually own your own property, but you must house the horses on lush pastures with only 1 horse per every 5 acres. Of course proper water and shelter is a necessity as well. However, if you support slaughter, there is some wiggle room and you can hogpile any number of horses on a dry lot with electric tape and uncapped t-posts because, one way or another, they won’t be sticking around long. It’s even better if you are a frustrated trainer or breeder yourself so you can intermingle your two vocations and use the goodwill of the rescue end of things to prop up your other costly habits that don’t profit you at all.

Where Do You Get Horses To Rescue?
This part gets a little more complicated. According to PSA dogma, you must never purchase a horse and call it a rescue horse. Kill buyers are your friends so purchasing horses from them is NOT rescuing, but interfering with somebody’s living. Also, you must never take custody of horses seized from a neglect situation because all abusers and hoarders are just misunderstood and need a little support. If you happen to have both of your front teeth and a moderately supportive bra, you may be able to get a few horses in protective custody from your local law enforcement provided you are willing to flirt a little or whatever. I don’t recommend this tactic as your source of rescue horses may dry up once his wife finds out and beats your ass. It is far better to comb the hills and streets for the mythological abandoned horses that you, as a PSA, know to exist. However, there is a catch…..To be a proper rescue, you must only rescue young and sound horses. The old, injured and infirm horses are not worth your time and effort, so forget about them. According to the PSA bible, there are countless potential world champions wandering around loose all across this great country just waiting for you to rescue them. There is an exception that every good rescue is allowed to have one `mascot’ or poster child horse that has gotten you lot of press and you can keep trotting out for publicity whenever needed, but only one.

What Do You Do With The Horses You Rescue?

Since we already know that you only should be rescuing young, sound horses, you must assess them for training. Because you are a PSA, you know everything there is to know about horses and should immediately throw the tack on each and every horse you rescue. If said horse does not appreciate your efforts or shows resistance, you call your kill buyer friend to come and get it because you have come into the possession of one of those `bad horses’ that are everywhere. What you don’t have to worry about is re-feeding or special diets on any of your rescues because horses that need that stuff aren’t worth rescuing anyhow.

Adoption and Turn Around Times

An important aspect of rescue is how long to keep a horse. Every good PSA will tell you that quarantines are for pussies and that horses should only be held for a short amount of time. I’m going to suggest 30 – 60 days should be your maximum time allowed for a horse to find a new home. If it takes any longer than that horse is obviously still `unwanted’ and should be offloaded to your buddy the kill buyer or a Mexican rodeo. Horses like to feel useful so they will thank you for this opportunity. You must never charge more than $25 to adopt a rescue otherwise you are profiteering and are going to hell. There should be no contract in place for the adoption as you do not want to interfere with the new owner’s rights, which includes breeding if they desire. Once the horse leaves your property, you can give yourself a reach around and feel good about a job well done as your part is over.

Funding

We all know that every rescue needs money to operate. Horses must be fed and sometimes you may actually have to bring a farrier or vet in, although as a PSA rescue, you try to avoid such extravagant expenses. According to PSA rules, you must NEVER ask for donations. That is bad and wrong and will send you to hell faster than dating a Catholic priest. If you have achieved the Holy Grail of getting 501c3 status, you can apply for grants and do some fundraising, but never cross the line and openly ask for donations. In fact, if somebody just offers you some money, you should probably be paranoid and refuse. Instead, host a cheval BBQ or auction off some crafts in a silent auction. I hear the little varnished turds with plastic eyes are super cute and popular for stocking stuffers at Christmas. Also, don’t forget to pray at the altar of Slaughterhouse Sue that we get funding for USDA inspections back for horse slaughter as that will solve all your funding problems and free up more of your time to spend on Facebook. Tithing to the United Horsemen is mandatory for all PSA approved rescues as well.

Networking and Odds n Ends

As a rescue, you’ll automatically become a pillar of your community. Do not waste this status by resting on your laurels. Make sure you turn up at every town hall meeting and join lots of message boards and online communities. In fact, if you’re doing it right, at least 70% of your waking hours should be spent online. Be very vocal about your rescue and make sure that people know that you support slaughter. Tell them you could rescue even more horses if you could slaughter them. Write lots of unsolicited editorials for your local newspaper about how evil Wayne Pacelle, Richard Cuoto and Betty White are and never miss an opportunity to take a pot-shot at the local animal shelters that are no-kill. Do not forget to call your local kill buyer on a regular basis and keep that pipeline open so you can ensure a high turn-over for your rescue. A proper PSA rescue is never full!

President of a PSA Rescue

So, that’s pretty much the important points of running a PSA rescue as far as I have been able to gather. Please correct me if I’m wrong. They give us so much information, it’s sometimes hard to take it all in. How did I do?

What a shame that you folks are not able to see or care to look into the fact that there have been many, many times horses have needed to be rescued from a rescue! It’s horrific what these horse go through to begin with but then end up in a rescue where they once again are starved/neglected.

What you have stated is a complete joke to those of us that have the horses well being at the top, and while you continue with the name calling and statements that are so very far from the truth others like myself WILL continue to try and educate people on adopting from rescues.

We need rescues, there’s no doubt about that. But we need rescues that place horses in a better place then from where they came. Bottom line is when rescues take in more then they can afford to care for it is a disaster just waiting to happen. There is no problem with asking for donations, but realistically if donations run short and the rescue runs out of funds…what happens?

I can answer that since I have just been witness to such a tragic case…the horses are neglected and starved, no horse should have to go through that once in a lifetime, but to have it happen again, and at a rescue…It is nothing more then criminal!

No, PSA’s do not think of rescue they way you have so childishly pointed out but if it makes you feel good to entertain yourselves with such off the mark comments then go right ahead, you all seem to think it’s so funny…well, sorry I find it deplorable when horses have to suffer time and time again.

Yup, people suck and there are bad guys all over. However, I find it deplorable that there are rescues that think that sending horses to slaughter is perfectly fine and humane as long as you call it `harvesting’ or some other stupid term.

Keep on complaining and whining, because there aer no changes planned for this blog. 🙂

[…] do not GET it…this must be the answer to questions asked about the rescue that has CCH's horses. http://shedrowconfessions.wordpress…./#comment-4206 Nice to see they find it all so amusing, NOT! The essential joy of being with horses is […]

As a “PSA” I must say that this is one of the blogs I find myself hating. While, in any aspect of a two sided debate, there are invalid points here I find myself saddened. Why? Because what you have written is accurate…for most PSA’s. We do not all think that way. For example, I PERSONALLY do not feel that going to an auction, bidding on a horse and winning the bid is rescuing the horse. Why? Because until he is loaded on the truck and headed for processing, he’s not in danger. NOW, if at same sale you go to the KB after the auction and purchase said horse prior to him heading to slaughter yes you rescued him. Up until he’s loaded on the KB truck to the slaughter yard, it is pure speculation. I also don’t mind legitimate rescues. The ones I CANNOT STAND are the ones that go to the auctions, purchase 20-30 horses that need to be “rescued” and then spend the next 2 months begging for money to feed, vet, and farrier them. If you cannot afford to care for them, DO NOT BUY THEM. You are not helping, you are hindering. I have 6 horses, I cannot afford more comfortably. That being said, if somebody said to me “I have this horse, I cannot afford to feed him, I cannot sell him, he’s not broke…etc etc can you take him?” yes, I would take him…straight to the sale…where you can rescue him if you wish. But I am NOT going to take away from the horses I can afford to feed to “rescue” one that isn’t broke. I have neither the time nor the funds for that. If that makes me horrible, so be it. Oh, loose…unwanted…abandoned? Don’t exist right? Then why did my neighbor find three horses TIED in his barn yesterday morning? All shaggy, run down and thin…they’ve been turned over to the county waiting for the owner to come forward. Doubt that happens though…

You’re right, there are people in the rescue business that are actually hoarders and get in over their head. However, lately I see a certain group of people wanting to paint them all with the same brush and it’s actually harming horses in the long run. You are pro slaughter. Do you like to be thought of being just like Daffy? The point is we ALL have members of our groups or sides of the argument that we are less than proud of. Im’ probably that member for lots of anti people. However, THIS blog isn’t hear to highlight how wonderful being a PSA is, I’m here to highlight how ridiculous so many of them are….which seem to be the ones that make the most noise. I’m a bitch and I’m sarcastic…..those thing aren’t going to change.

Again something we agree on! I find more and more folks that are over zealous in their efforts for their side of the cause and it’s harming the over all cause…NO MATTER WHICH SIDE YOU ARE ON YOU NEED TO BE A GOOD STEWARD!

Also last side note…I like that you’re sarcastic. Obviously I come read this blog for a reason. You have your opinion I have mine. You’ve never been rude to me and I try my best not to be rude to you (or anyone else here for that matter). There are few places left to discuss this issue with people that are not on “your” side, and I’d rather come here and wade through the BS of insults and get info than talk in circles in some other places. So…thanks for having me!

Anybody is welcome. Other than Daffy, I don’t moderate anybody so I have no control over what people say. I do like to hear from the other side even though I’ll never agree with you. However you don’t appear to be kill at all costs. There are some of you out there that may accept another way should slaughter never return and right now it is unlikely that it will.

I agree it is unlikely. Aside from the emotional/moral issues being presented currently, there are just too many logistical issues. I don’t see anybody stepping up to fund the huge studies etc. that would need to happen for it to happen. I know that I hear/see alot of talk about those things happening, but in the economy today I just don’t see anybody stepping up to bankroll them. And no ma’am I am not kill at all costs. I don’t agree with either side 100%, some PSAs say that makes me anti slaughter, some ASAs say that makes me pro slaughter…but I’m just me…searching…

Rachel, how about some proof for those abandoned horses? What county? Contact info.? If you know they were turned over you must know that too? I could make up stories about abandoned horses, too. Talk is cheap. Where’s the proof? Why not just let that horse’s owner, who’s looking for a home, take him to the sale themselves? Who the hell are you to decide that fate for someone else’s animal? Wouldn’t want to give them a few bales of hay and help find a home, right? Too much like work or no money in it for you? Which is it?? Why not just butt the hell out since right behind you could be a decent home who’s not planning on taking him to a sale? If you don’t want to help someone save horses from the pipeline, here’s a novel idea – DON’T. Then STFU. Quit your whining about people who work harder than you by a long shot. Glad you realize that you can’t feed or train any more horses, good for you. SO DON’T!!! Woopdy do. Doesn’t make you horrible. Being a PSA does, so it doesn’t matter anyway, already there. Twisted much? I’d say….

They were turned over to the county, as the law states that “found” livestock must be. And how exactly is it butting in if somebody asks for my help? Money in it for me? Really have you been to a sale lately? There’s no money in horses right now unless you’re a big breeder and have a lot of money to start with, which if I was you’d say I was the problem anyway. My comment was directed to SRC, and she answered me…so for the rest of y’all…have a nice day!

I think we’ll know a lot more once this goes to court. Those horses were in custody since Sept 7….NNER didn’t see or get their hands on them for at least two weeks after and they had been well fed during that time. Apparently, they cannot release the true `before’ pictures until it goes to court. I’m just not believing that they seized that many horses without just cause.

No, there isn’t big money in some horses right now. Other horses there is still very good money in. We do just fine even now, but we do invest heavily in stud fees etc. If you’re only paying a couple hundred bucks to get your mare covered, you can’t expect to make 20K on that baby because it doesn’t work like that. If you want to be in the breeding business and make money at it, it takes a lot of money whether that be for stud fees, training or promoting your stock. That is the ONLY way you’re going to make money. The `once in a lifetime’ horse can’t be counted on to show up when you think you need it either.

I find it funny that you people think it is okay for a rescue to accept 30 horses that they are totally unprepared to house/feed or be financially secure enough to afford them.

I also find it funny that you think a reputable rescue having over 100 horses is not a hoarding issue when CCH having 30 was considered the same thing

The Nevada rescue. that has only been registered and legal for 6 months but operating snce 2008 and asking for donations during this time also has had to beg for the $30 000 that it needed to pay for the horses in the pens on top of needing veternarian care and hay as well as the other horses already there

I do not mind rescues fundraising to help eliviate financial burdens but if they must depend on these donations they are as stable financially as CCH was and are one day from needing a rescue themself

This is an irresponsible rescue and a good example oif it and if needed I am sure many readers here can link the many other rescues that are in this position or have had to close down or have had horses seized from them

Good intentions and emtoional IQ variances will not rescue a horse if the means to look after it are absent and this is the position of the majority of rescues.

if this is not the case…show us 100 reputable rescue from across the US that have 100% placement of all adoptees within a one year period.

50 states to choose just 2 from each….that should be very easy to do right?

This is not about NNER at all….however all those things you have accused them of are just speculation. You have no proof at all that they can’t handle the horses they took in nor do you have proof of their actual numbers or situation. What you do have proof us is that they legally have those horses and they got them the farrier and vet attention they so desperately needed. I have not seen them ask for donations anymore than any other rescue or non-profit business. Why do YOU have it in for them? If you don’t like it, don’t donate to them and move on.

Oh, I’m loving the outrage. Means I struck a nerve. These assholes from the horsegrooming board or whatever keeps pinging back to me all think it’s just terrible that they took poor Dorothy’s horses away and because they weren’t emaciated, they didn’t need to be rescued. I guess the fact she has been CHARGED with neglect escapes them and the condition of these animals is disgusting is just fine. She’s one of `their own’, so she must be defended. If they really want to help her, how about going out to her place and getting her some electricity or doing something about her personal living conditions? They are crying about the colts being gelded adn the bloodlines lost forever. Well, why wasn’t anybody offering to buy theses valuable horses or even breed to her stallions? Bloodlines don’t mean a thing if you don’t have the performance records to back them up and Dorothy didn’t even halter break hers so…..

I am neither outraged or have had a nerve struck at all, the court paperwork is public and available for all who wish to research it including all court documents and costs for those needing proof.
I have no issues with rescues that work within the law, tax evasion is not legal and there is a paper trail for all who choose to look for it if they so wish

Whoever put this on this board

on October 2, 2012 at 12:54 pm | ReplyVet had Sheriff Seize one of our member’s herd~**UPDATED**!! – Page 96

shows that the inuendo is most certainly about the rescue and the forum mentioned and your blog

I have yet to find any criminal charges on the one called Dorothy Robinson being laid in her case nor have I ever stated I was on her side, she had her horses seized for a reason, too bad the officials actions are now being called into question by the INF about the legality of the paperwork and seizure themself.

That said if one goes to the Nevada Rescue page on FB they will see that they joined years before the rescue registered and before they edited the requests already copied, the asking for donations to help with rescues they were bringing in during those years as well as googling and reading media stories.

It takes very little to go outside forums/media and speculation to get the truth, google will help some too but the meat of most content can be found in all legal documents/paper trailsand records that are public

Dorothy herself has said she has been charged with neglect and will be in court towards the end of the month. As far as what this blog is about, you obviously haven’t been reading it very long as the PSA crowd has been taking potshots at lots of rescues that don’t align to their way of thinking, for a very long time. We have featured a few and still feature one of those rescues every single week.

NNER is a new rescue and I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt until it has been proven they are doing something wrong. That means PROOF, not wild speculation and sweeping generalizations that I see so many people making. If you dont’ like them or don’t agree with what they are doing, don’t give them money. However, you have no right to interfere with other people donating if that’s what they want to do. I give my money to buskers on the street sometimes and I’m sure people don’t agree with that either, but it’s my RIGHT to do what I want with the money I have earned. Just get out of their way and go help Dorothy if you want to make a difference in the world.

As for getting out of the way of a rescue that is working illegally, no that will not happen. While I have no issue with rescues operating on the up and up I do not want the ones out there who run scams or have inadequate facilities being unable to care for the animals correctly themself

I would think most rescues would want to close down any rescue that were detrimntal to the public image of others since it is the image that brings in the donations and helps rescues to stay open in the first place.

The many bad seeds are ruining it for the very few true good rescues out there.Everytime a rescue is proven shady or receives negetavie publicity, it will reflect negatively on all others including the good ones and this is the lagrest hurdle that needs to be gotten over.

Even the SPCAs have seen a decrease of over 58% due to bad publicity, well, that is what they say is the reason, negative media misleading the public even after proof positive of some undesirable actions were brought forward

It would most certainly be in the best interest of the good rescues to eliminate the bad ones and that is what I will do to change the world, if those rescues who have given all reescues a bad name were closed down, the public image issue would be cleaned up, though I do think this would decrease the numbers of rescues dramatically across the US

As for proof, Deena, herself put it out there for all to read before thinking twice and deleting things off the rescue site and her FB page which I had/have access to and many others as well. This paper trail left by her and her supporters/barn people/representatives is enough proof that they were unprepared and not equipped to house them as well as any other accusation I have given.

The rescue is free to try and sue me for slander if I am wrong, I highly doubt they will though, not just because they can not finacially afford to go against me but also because they know I do have the proof and it is the truth, that is why they are trying deparately to cover their tracks now.

Prepared for 31 extra horses? Name one rescue that is prepared for that many on a moment’s notice? Who made you judge and jury about what she can or cannot handle? No, they probably won’t try and sue you because they are more than busy looking after these horses. What is your axe to grind with them? Their horses look fine, their facility looks fine and it would appear the judge thought them capable of handling these horses.

I found this post hilarious. I had no idea how badly we’ve been operating! In the interest of full transparency, I don’t know this rescue at all. But I have to question the assumption that non-profits shouldn’t ask for donations, as someone here implied. Heh? Rescues become 501’s so that they can solicit donations in a manner that is tax-exempt to the donors. That’s the whole point. I’m going to go out on a limb here and speak for my fellow rescuers who actually don’t want to “close down any rescues that were detrimntal (sic).” If we did that, we’d just have to absorb the horses they had to relocate. It’s a far better strategy to help them, if it’s possible to do that, and to raise the bar for care standards through certification programs like GFAS. That way, people know what to look for before they donate and the bad groups will eventually wither away from lack of funding. If those orgs truly are hoarders, we have laws that need enforcing. But I wouldn’t wait for the rescues to rise up in a giant lynch mob out of fear that their public images are being sullied by some bad guy halfway across the country. We’re too busy taking care of our own rescued horses and finding funding by, you know, asking for it. But thanks for your concern!

Geez, I forgot to include the part about all other rescues being your enemy and threatening you!

You are exactly right….worry about your own stuff and help each other. Maybe there should be accreditation for rescues, but until there is, support the ones you believe in if you can and leave the others alone unless they prove to be dodgy. It’s just not that difficult.

It’s not against the law to solicit donations as an individual. It’s like asking a friend for a sawbuck to throw some gas in your truck. It’s perfectly legal to give money and gifts to whoever you want. If it happens to be to someone who spends it on the horses they saved, well, good… Gotta love America. I dare say I couldn’t care less if they were prepared, that they did it at all speaks volumes for their intestinal fortitude. That they’re, by all appearances, doing right by the animals works for me, too. I’m still trying to figure out why everyone who wants to eat horse is under the impression that so many rescues are fraudulent and suck? It’s proportionally a pretty small percentage. Maybe try leaving the sales barn once in a while?

So if a person who is not a rescue is unprepared to look after horses they are shit but a rescue with the same problem has fortitude. No wonder rescues are in such dire trouble being overcrowded. run down and unable to feed the horses they have in. No wonder the public view of rescues is deteriorating each year due to the negative images they are developing
And it is against the law to accpet any goft over a certain denomination without claiming it, that is the American tax law.

Do you know they aren’t claiming it? I think you’re just looking for a reason to trash this particular rescue. They seem to have had the resources to get vet and farrier care in to those horses immediately. Their other horses appear well fed. The reason the `public view’ of rescues is so terrible is the way people like you witch hunt and look for trouble where there probably isn’t any. Yes, there are some rescues that have over-extended and gotten themselves in trouble, but the majority are not like that and painting them all with the same brush is not exactly fair.

On another note, speaking of rescues, we’re a month into seven skinny hungries and all are doing awesome. Three have gone to foster care making room for a couple extras from elsewhere and we’ve shared a few others with a fellow rescue in the next state over. Planning to help with them but she’s taken some heat off. So, I’m returning an adoptable mare I’ve had at home in training since she’s done and ready to go, easier to place from the shelter. Which in turn opens some room for two mini studs who get brain surgery tomorrow. My second rescue program (manage one, own another) will pay for one gelding, another rescue the other. Then I’ll be the fosterer to get them healed. Then they’re moving on under yet another rescue program who I think has found them a home already. That’s the way we’re “stepping stoning” horses to safety by working together and gettin’ ‘er done without anyone going broke themselves. How fun, right? Can’t say it doesn’t take some orchestration…. It takes a village, glad I know a village. 🙂 So, argue amongst yourself Elder and Rachel, meanwhile I’ll keep being part of the damn SOLUTION!!! ;P